After ISIS Shown Killing Henning, Syrian Coalition's Hadi Al Bahra Talks Accountability, Vaccine Response in Question

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- After the Islamic State's most recent video, the Syrian National Coalition's Hadi al Bahra issued this statement:

"Words cannot describe the outrage I felt upon hearing news of the beheading of the British national, Alan Henning, by the devilish group ISIS. Our hearts go out to family of Henning and his loved ones at this difficult time. Taking the life of a dedicated aid worker, who helped save the lives of thousands of people suffering from Assad’s brutal tactics and its violent consequences, is the ultimate crime. This crime should not and will not go unpunished. It might take some time, but eventually ISIS’s faceless murderers will be brought to justice and they will pay the price for their barbarism."

   When Al Bahra belatedly held an open press conference at the UN on September 24, Inner City Press asked him about the deadly measles vaccination campaign undertaken in territory ostensibly controlled by the opposition.

  In response, Hadi al Bahra just like Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric called it only human error, “not correct labeling, having two types of medicine in the same cabinet.” That would be, muscle relaxer injected into children. Inner City Press asked, What does this portend? This is a test case.

 On October 3, Al Bahra's Syrian Coalition announced that five people have been "dismissed" - but is that full accountability for the killing of children, even if by gross negligence? The Syrian Coalition issued this statement:

"The Syrian Coalition dismissed five officials, including the interim Minister of Health Adnan Hazzori and head of the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) Suhair al-Atassi, after the committee charged with investigating the deaths of children in the measles vaccination campaign submitted the results to the president of the Syrian coalition and to members of the political committee. The investigative committee, headed by Nasr al-Hariri, visited the town of Jarzjanaz in rural Idlib where the deaths of children occurred and met with the health officials to further investigate the incident. The committee reviewed the results of the investigation and decided to dismiss the five officials under the political committee’s decision No. 7 dated September, 25, 26, 27, 2014. 

"Moreover, the Syrian Coalition dismissed the director of the Syrian National Vaccination Committee Dr. Mohammad Saad, director of the Medical Department in ACU Dr. Khaled Milaji and ACU’s Executive Director in Samer Darwish. A statement released by the Syrian Coalition holds Idlib Directorate of Health, staff and supervisors of the vaccination campaign responsible for the deaths and referred them to trial. The statement also included directing the blame to the president of the caretaker government Ahmad Tomeh, and its general secretariat for negligence in following up the work of the Ministry of Health. 

Blame for the incident was also laid on the Justice Minister in the caretaker government Fayez Daher for his failure to form a special court in Syria to investigate the incident. The Syrian Coalition re-extends its condolences to the families of the victims and reaffirms it will hold to account all those responsible for the death of children. The statement also said that the 'Syrian Coalition fully recognizes the size of the difficulties and the harsh conditions faced by workers in the medical field, most notably the shortage of the qualified medical staff and the lack of medicines and medical supplies as a result of the siege imposed by the Assad regime on the areas beyond its control. It is worth noting that the investigative committee, headed by Nasr al-Hariri, included Jawad Abu Hatab, head of the medical committee, Hisham al-Dairi, former director of the vaccination program in the Syrian Ministry of Health, Abdul Jalil al-Hariri, chairman of the Syrian Bar Association and Muhannad Abdul Qadir, secretary of the Syrian Coalition’s medical committee. The Commission was mandated to submit its final report and recommendations to the Syrian Coalition on September 25th. An investigative hearing session will be held for the head of the caretaker government and the interim Minister of Health on September 25th to discuss the results of the investigation."

   That's accountability? We'll continue to follow this.

Footnote: On September 24 the first two questions to Hadi al Bahra were from US state owned media, and France 24. Then later came RFI. This is part of why the Free UN Coalition for Access complained about Hadi al Bahra initially, and Ahmad Jarba throughout his tenure, only taking questions in these media's clubhouse of UNCA, the UN's Censorship Alliance. They only publicize the events to those who paid them money; the UNCA Executive Committee tried to get the investigative Press thrown out fo the UN. It is good that Hadi al Bahra, hosted by the UK, held an open briefing. But what about the answers? We'll have more on these.

   

When French Defense Minster Le Drian Met UN's Ban Ki-moon and Herve Ladsous, Was Syria on Agenda as Hagel Said?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- When French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian came to the UN on October 3, he was running late. But what topics would he discuss with the UN's Ban Ki-moon?

  Earlier in the day Le Drian had met with US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and Hagel said they discussed if France will join the US in airstrikes in Syria. Would Le Drian discuss this with Ban as well?

 (Even France 24 reported what Hagel said. To extrapolate to the UN is not a stretch - except, apparently, for big wigs or grands fromages in the UN press corps.)

With Ban for the meeting was Herve Ladsous, a former French diplomat who is the fourth Frenchman in a row to head UN Peacekeeping. As regards Syria, Ladsous most recently ordered peacekeepers from Fiji and the Philippines to surrender to the Jabhat al Nusra rebels, or terrorists, in the Golan Heights.

  When Inner City Press tried to asked Ladsous questions on September 26, Ladsous refused to answer. On September 27, as Inner City Press filmed from the entirely legal UN General Assembly stakeout area, Ladsous came over and blocked Inner City Press' camera and demanded, what do you want with this?

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has been asked twice about what Ladsous did, for the Free UN Coalition for Access, but has yet to respond. Dujarric previously told FUNCA that then French Ambassador Gerard Araud should have accorded a UN correspondent from Lebanon (more) respect rather than telling the correspondents, “You are not a journalist, you are an agent.” But Dujarric declined to instruct the French mission to this effect. Of Araud's replacement Francois Delattre the Press so far knows little but retains an open mind.

  Conceivably Le Drian would begin with discussion of Mali and the Central African Republic, French operations Serval and Sangaris respectively. In Mali Ladsous stands accused by Chad of using Chadian troops as cannon fodder. In Central African Republic, the Sangaris forces killed seven in Bambari this week; Inner City Press asked Dujarric if Ladsous' MINUSCA mission will look into it: no answer.

  For a meeting like Ban's with Le Drian, there should be a a read-out. Watch this site.

   

In Myanmar on Right of Rohingya to Self-Identify, UN Special Rapporteur Says Yes, UNDP Calls It Tense

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3, updated -- As Myanmar offers Rohingya the “choice” of re-classifying themselves as Bengalis or being put into camps or worse, Inner City Press on September 29 asked:

Inner City Press: It’s been reported that the Government of Myanmar is building camps for those Rohingya who don’t accept reclassification as Bengalis. The camps are under construction and the proposed offer to Rohingyas has been reported on. So given that seems to be happening, what is the response of Mr. Nambiar or the Secretary-General?

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: Let me look at those reports and get back to you.

The next day Dujarric returned with this sunny version of events:

“In response to a question yesterday on Myanmar, I think by you, Matthew, the office of the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the country notes that a status verification exercise has recently commenced in Rakhine, as part of the implementation of the Rakhine Committee Action Plan. This process is ongoing, and it is hoped that a significant number of the members of the Rohingya community currently inside the IDP camps, as well as those outside, will become eligible for citizenship following this verification exercise. Meanwhile, in respect of those persons who may not be deemed qualified for citizenship, it is hoped that they will continue to be treated fully in accordance with established international humanitarian and human rights principles.”

There is a problem with this formulation, “continue to be treated in accordance with human rights principles” -- the current refusal to allow the right of self-identification outright violates human rights law, even according to the UN’s new special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee.

So when UNDP's Regional Director for Asia Haoliang Xu, along with OCHA's John Ging, came to the UN Press Briefing Room on October 3 and talked about Myanmar's progress, Inner City Press -- initially unbranded -- asked about the rights of the Rohingya to self-identify as such.

Xu said that the work is controversial, one has to understand history. This seems to indicate an acceptance of the denial of the right to self-identify. After a late arrival from the old UN Correspondents Association insisted on branding the press conference “UNCA” (now, the UN's Censorship Alliance), Inner City Press then offered thanks to Ging from FUNCA, and asked if different parts of the UN system have a different view of human rights, and this Rohingya question.

It was claimed that no, that the special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar is of course the expert. But why then is UNDP giving a different view of human rights?

Ging made a pitch for increased humanitarian aid to North Korea. Inner City Press asked which countries have provided the $26.6 million in aid that he cited, and an answer has been promised. Ging to his credit comes and does briefing when he returns from trips, and returns with answers. Watch this site.

Update: Ging's office at OCHA did return with this list of donors to DPRK: "The international donors to humanitarian assistance in the DPRK in 2014 are as follows: Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, France, Norway, Germany, Republic of Korea and Finland."

 We'll have more on this.

   

At UN, Dark Talk of Hot Desks, “Ban Ki-moon's Sweatshop," Staff Allege

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- With the UN of Ban Ki-moon having effectively broken its Staff Union, now things take a turn toward the surreal, or toward the “sweatshop,” sources tell Inner City Press.

  When the 38 story UN Secretariat building was renovated, many floors were left with the “open plan” in which staff members no longer had walls or privacy. Instead there are so-called “focus booths” the size of closets in which one could make a phone call.

(On the press floor, the UN said it would maintain UN landline telephones in the booths, as requested by Inner City Press and now the Free UN Coalition for Access, to allow direct dialing of UN Peacekeeping missions like the one in Mali where nine peacekeepers from Niger were killed today. But there are no phones, the old UN Correspondents Association never followed through, maintaining a large mostly unused room while media left without offices have been given the focus booths.)

  But upstairs it is crazier. Now the proposal is for “hot desks.” As described to Inner City Press by staff members, it involves a “first come, first served” system for desk space. If a staff member is not among the earliest, he or she might be left with no desk to work from.

  He or she is also an issue raised. As one staff member put it, she as a woman does not necessarily want to be dealt out at random each day with “male staff members I don't want to be next to” a mere two feet away.

“Why not just let us work from home, if this is how little they value us?” another staffer asked, demanding to know if Ban Ki-moon and “his insiders” will also work on hot desks.

  Inner City Press has, of course, sought up the Ban Administration's defense of the "hot desks," and offers these links: http://undocs.org/A/RES/68/247B andhttp://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2013/gaab4088.doc.htm

We'll have more on this.

Footnote: on the controversy of the new head of investments of the UN Pension Fund, the old union raised the issue but says it has been rebuffed, despite the Maryland litigation Inner City Press reported on last month. Retaliation continues, and still the UN has no Freedom of Information Act applying to it. The Free UN Coalition for Access will continue to press on this issue and others. Watch this site.

   

In Ukraine, Ambassador Sergeyev Tells Inner City Press, IMF Money in December, OSCE Is In Charge of Heavy Weaponry Pull-Back

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- When Ukraine's Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev re-appeared at the UN on October 3, Inner City Press asked him about the killing of a Red Cross worker in Donetsk, about the International Monetary Fund and when (or if) Ukraine will pull its heavy weapons back from the line of contact as specified in the Minsk Agreements.

  Sergeyev said the next IMF tranche will be disbursed in December, citing a longer written presentation the first three pages of which Inner City Press has tweeted photos of here, here and here.

  On the shelling of the ICRC in Donetsk -- in territory controlled by the separatists -- Sergeyev insisted that Kyiv's forces are not firing, but said there would be an investigation.

  For its first two questions, Inner City Press did not brand the sparsely attended press conference by offering thanks for the Free UN Coalition for Access. But later, and typically, the old UN Correspondents Association insisted on doing so. So FUNCA followed suit and asked about the pull-back of heavy weapons.

   Sergeyev again alluded to his written presentation, then said it will be up to the OSCE to say when the pull back must take place. We'll have more on this.

  Back on September 12, Inner City Press asked Sergeyev about Amnesty International's damning report about the pro-Kyiv Aidar Battalion, and about Point 11 of the Protocol, "Economic Reconstruction of Eastern Ukraine."

  On Aidar, Sergeyev replied that the separatists had been dressing up in the pro-government militia's uniforms. Is that something that Amnesty would have entirely missed? Their report is online here.

  On economic reconstruction, Sergeyev distinguished between regions that were never with the "terrorists," those that had been liberated, and... others, presumably Donetsk and Luhansk. 

 On a second around, Inner City Press asked Sergeyev about reports Ukraine is getting sophisticated weapons from a "non-NATO" country. He said there are negotiations that he couldn't get into the details of, since the counter-parties might pull out.

   In past Sergeyev briefings, for example on September 4, the first question has been claimed by UNCA, now the UN's Censorship Alliance. On September 12, there was no UNCA representative present -- an insider briefing elsewhere about which the scribes are not supposed to report. Sergeyev was thanked by the new Free UN Coalition for Access for showing up and answering questions on-the-record, as it should be.

 In that spirit, Inner City Press put online each of the five pages of Sergeyev's opening statement, here, here, here,here and here.

   Back on September 4, Inner City Press asked Sergeyev about challenges from the right to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, for example from Right Sector, AVOZ, and militia commanders like Dmytro Linko and Semen Semenchenko, who has spoken of the need “to establish our own internal command.”

  Sergeyev replied that “naturally, some generals want to be stronger.”

  So are these are generals? Despite talk in Minsk of a ceasefire, Sergeyev insisted that the “law enforcement action” would continue.

  Sergeyev began on September 4 by offering thanks to USg Jeffrey Feltman and to Valerie Amos -- but not John Ging.

  Back on August 24 when Amos visited Eastern Ukraine, her and Ging's agency OCHA put out a press releasesaying that

Amos visited an internally displacement persons' center in Krasnyi Lyman and “met women who had fled the fighting with their families.” The UN OCHA statement on Sunday said that “since March this year, around 200,000 people have fled their homes in search of safety within Ukraine and tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries.”

  What does "tens of thousands" mean -- and why is it so different from what OCHA official John Ging told the UN Security Council on August 5? In that Council session, Ging said

“since the start of the year 168,677 Ukrainians are registered as having crossed into Russia, with nearly 60,000 of these having applied for refugee status and a further 115,952 having applied for other forms of legal stay.”
 
    Ging on August 5 acknowledged that “this is not the full picture as many Ukrainians that have fled their homes do not register with Ukrainian authorities or officially apply for assistance. The Russian authorities and UNHCR are reporting that 740,000 people have crossed the border since the start of the year.”

  While technically both 740,000 and 168,677 are made up of "tens of thousands," there is a striking disparity between what Ging told the Security Council on August 5, and the OCHA's August 24 press release on Amos' visit to Krasnyi Lyman.  What explains it?

   Back on August 24 just as an emergency but closed-door meeting of the Security Council about Ukraine began, and after the US, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued this statement:

The Secretary-General follows with deep concern reports that a Russian aid convoy has crossed the border into Ukraine without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities. While recognising the deteriorating humanitarian situation, any unilateral action has the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation in eastern Ukraine.

Once again, the Secretary-General urges all sides, in particular Ukraine and the Russian Federation, to continue to work together, in coordination with the international community, to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the most affected areas. He reiterates that all sides should continue to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalation.

In this regard, he is encouraged by the announcement from President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine will do everything possible to prevent more serious consequences as a result of the convoy moving into Ukrainian territory.

 How was this statement formulated? By whom? Inner City Press asked: What is the position of the UN's humanitarian chief Valerie Amos, who has elsewhere called for cross-border aid?

   At the Churkin presser, Inner City Press asked about the draft press statement Russia proposed on August 21.

 Churkin said that the “indefatigable” Lithuanian delegation “sent in amendments” that dropped references to Russia and included references to the European Union and dropped the reference to a ceasefire. Then, Churkin said, the US delegations send in amendments dropping the ceasefire and blaming the separatists.

  Inner City Press also asked about a report by CNN from Eastern Ukraine in which correspondent Diana Magney asked why Russia was sending salt if there are salt mines in Eastern Ukraine.

  Churkin said, "You can mine salt if you are not shelled.  If you are hiding in your cellars, mining salt is problematic."

   Later the Voice of America's correspondent asked about accusations that the convoy was only to support the rebels.

  "With baby food?" Churkin asked.

   "Rebels have babies too," the Voice of America correspondent said. The implication seemed to be that starving children based on the positions taken by their parents would be okay. We'll have more on this - for now, click here.

   Back on July 30 when Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev held a UN press conference on July 30, Inner City Press asked him about the Human Right Watch report his government is using Grad rockets, killing at least 16 civilians between July 12 and 21 near Donetsk.

  Sergeyev responded first about the UN's (or Ivan Simonovic's) report, then emphasized that Russian media is saying Ukraine is using ballistic missiles.

  Inner City Press repeated the question, emphasizing it concerns Human Rights Watch's report, not the UN's, and not Russian media.  Sergeyev provided essentially the same answer.

  Here is the HRW report, online.

  Inner City Press also asked about the status of the International Monetary Fund program, after the downing of MH17. Sergeyev said Ukraine has met with the IMF's Christine Lagarde and "will" get the next tranche of the program in late August.  But won't there be an Executive Board meeting?

After Russian foreign minister and US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone on July 27, the US State Department issued two read-outs, or a readout in two stages.

  The second, an "additional point" by a Senior State Department Official, was that Kerry "underlined our support for a mutual cease fire verified by the OSCE and reaffirmed our strong support for the international investigation to show the facts of MH17."

  Inner City Press on July 30 asked Sergeyev for Ukraine's position on this. Sergeyev cited as "pre-conditions" the closing of the border with Russia, and the release of all hostages.

  Procedurally, Ukraine set aside the first question at its press conference saying, "Pamela, traditionally you open our session." Using this UN Correspondents Association set-aside, Pam Falk of CBS asked about rebels mining the MH17 site. Her UNCA sidekick asked about "Russian propaganda." 

   And so it went until, fifth, the new Free UN Coalition for Access asked about HRW's report. This is how it's working, with the UN's Censorship Alliance. In this context, the Free UN Coalition for Access is against the automatic setting-aside of questions. 

   

After Syrian Children Killed by Muscle Relaxer in Place of Vaccine, Syrian Coalition Lays Off Five Officials: Accountability?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- When the Syrian National Coalition's Hadi al Bahra belatedly held an open press conference at the UN on September 24, Inner City Press asked him about the deadly measles vaccination campaign undertaken in territory ostensibly controlled by the opposition.

  In response, Hadi al Bahra just like Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric called it only human error, “not correct labeling, having two types of medicine in the same cabinet.” That would be, muscle relaxer injected into children. Inner City Press asked, What does this portend? This is a test case.

 On October 3, Al Bahra's Syrian Coalition announced that five people have been "dismissed" - but is that full accountability for the killing of children, even if by gross negligence? The Syrian Coalition issued this statement:

"The Syrian Coalition dismissed five officials, including the interim Minister of Health Adnan Hazzori and head of the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) Suhair al-Atassi, after the committee charged with investigating the deaths of children in the measles vaccination campaign submitted the results to the president of the Syrian coalition and to members of the political committee. The investigative committee, headed by Nasr al-Hariri, visited the town of Jarzjanaz in rural Idlib where the deaths of children occurred and met with the health officials to further investigate the incident. The committee reviewed the results of the investigation and decided to dismiss the five officials under the political committee’s decision No. 7 dated September, 25, 26, 27, 2014. 

"Moreover, the Syrian Coalition dismissed the director of the Syrian National Vaccination Committee Dr. Mohammad Saad, director of the Medical Department in ACU Dr. Khaled Milaji and ACU’s Executive Director in Samer Darwish. A statement released by the Syrian Coalition holds Idlib Directorate of Health, staff and supervisors of the vaccination campaign responsible for the deaths and referred them to trial. The statement also included directing the blame to the president of the caretaker government Ahmad Tomeh, and its general secretariat for negligence in following up the work of the Ministry of Health. 

Blame for the incident was also laid on the Justice Minister in the caretaker government Fayez Daher for his failure to form a special court in Syria to investigate the incident. The Syrian Coalition re-extends its condolences to the families of the victims and reaffirms it will hold to account all those responsible for the death of children. The statement also said that the 'Syrian Coalition fully recognizes the size of the difficulties and the harsh conditions faced by workers in the medical field, most notably the shortage of the qualified medical staff and the lack of medicines and medical supplies as a result of the siege imposed by the Assad regime on the areas beyond its control. It is worth noting that the investigative committee, headed by Nasr al-Hariri, included Jawad Abu Hatab, head of the medical committee, Hisham al-Dairi, former director of the vaccination program in the Syrian Ministry of Health, Abdul Jalil al-Hariri, chairman of the Syrian Bar Association and Muhannad Abdul Qadir, secretary of the Syrian Coalition’s medical committee. The Commission was mandated to submit its final report and recommendations to the Syrian Coalition on September 25th. An investigative hearing session will be held for the head of the caretaker government and the interim Minister of Health on September 25th to discuss the results of the investigation."

   We'll continue to follow this.

Footnote: On September 24 the first two questions to Hadi al Bahra were from US state owned media, and France 24. Then later came RFI. This is part of why the Free UN Coalition for Access complained about Hadi al Bahra initially, and Ahmad Jarba throughout his tenure, only taking questions in these media's clubhouse of UNCA, the UN's Censorship Alliance. They only publicize the events to those who paid them money; the UNCA Executive Committee tried to get the investigative Press thrown out fo the UN. It is good that Hadi al Bahra, hosted by the UK, held an open briefing. But what about the answers? We'll have more on these.

   

After Ethiopian Diplomat Shoots Gun in Embassy Compound in DC, Immunity Not Waived, He Leaves USA

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 2, more here -- Fifty five days after bodyguards of Democratic Republic of the Congo president Joseph Kabila beat up protesters in Washington but were not charged, only told to leave the country, on September 29 shots were fired in the compound of Ethiopia's Embassy in Washington, video here and embedded below.

  In the video, the man shooting the gun retreats into the embassy, while protesters remain outside, taking down the flag. So is the incident covered by diplomatic immunity? A request to waive immunity was declined, and the individual has left the US, the State Department said on October 2.

  The question first arose at the US State Department's briefing on September 30, two hours after US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power had told reporters about US meetings at the highest level with Ethiopia. What impact would those relations have?

  Inner City Press on September 30 also reported on the US' court filing supporting immunity or impunity for the United Nations for having brought cholera to Haiti, click here for that.

 On October 2, US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said of the Ethiopian mission "incident" that

"In this case we requested a waiver of immunity to permit prosecution of the individual engaged in the incident. The request was denied, and the individual has left the country.”

She indicated that those who leave in this circumstances “typically” can't come back except to face the charges. But in at least one case Inner City Press has reported on, that does not appear to have been complied with. We continue to await answers or explanation.

   These questions of immunity keep arising. Back in August, an assault with a chair reportedly occurred at the residence of the Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea in the Arlington suburb of Washington.

  Due to diplomatic immunity, no arrest was made. ARLnow.comreports that 

Police were called to the home of Ambassador Ruben Maye Nsue Mangue after a female 911 caller reported that “there’s someone going crazy at her house” and a man “hit her in the head with a chair,” according to scanner traffic.

“I’ve been there before,” said a responding officer. “There have been previous calls from this address.” The female victim was struck “several times,” police said. Paramedics transported her to Virginia Hospital Center with a head wound, but no arrests were made.

“The subject has full diplomatic immunity and was not arrested,” Arlington County Police said in a crime report today. Police said the assault was “domestic” in nature but declined to reveal the identity of the suspect. “We won’t go in to those details at this time,” ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told ARLnow.com. “The State Department was notified by our officers and it’s in their hands at this point.”

   While outrageous, this also strikes some as contrary for example to how India's diplomat Devyani Khobragade was treated, compared with others. We'll have more on this.

   On the DRC, US State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf on August 8 said:

"We are troubled by the attacks against several protesters by members of the official delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  It was Wednesday evening.  Take the right to freedom of expression very seriously, and violence against peaceful protesters is totally unacceptable.  We communicated our concern to the delegation in the strongest possible terms.  We requested waivers of immunity to permit those involved to face prosecution, and if such waivers were not issued, we required that the immediate departure from the country of the individuals involved.  They did not waive immunity and the individuals involved left the country on Thursday."

 So amid the speeches in the Security Council on Thursday, August 7, officials from the DRC were leaving the US after attacking protesters and refusing to waive immunity.

   On August 7 in New York, Kobler said it had been transparent, than when the UN Security Council's sanctions committee denied the waiver requested by Herve Ladsous, the FDLR leader was returned "to the bush."

  Inner City Press asked, isn't he subject to an arrest warrant in Rwanda? Kobler said he was unaware of that.

  On the mere two convictions for the 130 rapes by the Congolese Army in Minova in November 2012, Kobler said the legal process was OK --video here -- but that the investigation was not sufficient.

  The third Press questions, which Kobler did not answer, concerned the rehabilitation of General Amisi after a failure to investigate the charges against him. 

  On back June 27 amid reports that the UN flew a sanctioned militia leader of the FDLR militia on a UN aircraft in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujurric about it at the UN noon briefing on June 27:

Inner City Press: why did MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] fly him to Goma to Kisangani and then to Kinshasa when, in fact, I think there’s an arrest warrant for him?

Spokesman Dujarric: I’m not aware of any other services provided to him by MONUSCO.

 But it turns out that UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous flew the sanctioned FDLR leader from Eastern Congo to Kinshasa. Rwanda complained about this, in writing, on June 26.

  On July 16, Inner City Press asked Rwanda's Deputy Permanent Representative what has been Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations' response. 

  There has BEEN no response - in more than three weeks. Video here, and embedded below.

  Little more than an hour later, Ladsous floated into the Security Council to talk about Central African Republic -- without having answered a written complaint from a Security Council member in more than three weeks. We call this: unaccountable. 

Dujarric on June 27, and in the subsequent times Inner City Press asked, insisted that not only Mary Robinson (who today left her post as the UN's Great Lakes envoy) but also US envoy Russ Feingold requested the waiver, and that the FDLR leader Gaston Iyamuremye a/k/a Rumuli had not traveled to Rome, arguing that only that was important.

  Inner City Press disagrees -- why would UN Peacekeeping underHerve Ladsous given his history on Rwanda, representing France in the Security Council in 1994 arguing for the escape of the genocidaires into Eastern Congo, fly a sanctioned FDLR figure linked to the genocide around? 

  On July 15,  Haq said Rumuli  was escorted from Kinshasa back to the east. Video here.

  Inner City Press asked about MONUSCO escorting Rumuli.

  Haq said what he had read did not say MONUSCO did the escorting. So who did? And if not the UN, how does the UN know where Rumuli went? Watch this site.